Operation Searchlight

Operation Searchlight
Part of Bangladesh Liberation War
Date March 26, 1971 - May 25, 1971.[1] Location East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Result • Temporary Pakistani military occupation • Severe Bengali civilian casualties • Beginning of Bangladesh Liberation War • Creation of Mukti Bahini • Bengali refugees flee to India • Launch of Operation Jackpot by Indian Army Eastern Command • Eventual Indo-Pak War of 1971 and Birth of Bangladesh
Belligerents
Bengali units of Pakistan Armed Forces and civilian volunteers	Pakistan Armed Forces
Commanders
Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed (April 17 - December 16) Col(ret). M A G Osmani (April 10 - December 16) "Operation Jackpot": Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora General Sam Manekshaw	President General Yahya Khan Lt. General Tikka Khan (March - September) Lt. General A. A. K. Niazi (April 11 - December 16)
Strength
Bengali Forces: ~6,000 Bengali soldiers from East Bengal Regiments[2] Paramilitary Forces: East Pakistan Rifles:~13,000 soldiers[3] Civilian volunteers: unknown (usually unarmed) Reinforcements: unknown number of unarmed ex-servicemen and civilians	Pakistan Army: 14th Infantry Division, estimated 18,000+ soldiers,[4] 1 armored regiment (75 M-24 Chaffee Tanks). Paramilitary Forces: ~2,000 East Pakistan Rifles,[3] unknown number of Mujahids and Mizos. Reinforcements: The 9th and 16th Infantry divisions from West Pakistan Pakistan Air Force: 20 F-86 Sabre, 3 T-33 trainers, 8 Helicopters, C-130 Heracles transport planes. Pakistan Navy: 4 Gunboats and 1 Patrol Boat,[5] 1 Destroyer.[6]
Casualties and losses
Mukti Bahini: NA*, ~several thousand, ~4,000+[7] POWs.	~6,000 KIA and wounded[8] a few POWs.
Civilian death toll: estimated several thousands Bengali civilians.

Operation Searchlight was a planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in erstwhile East Pakistan in March of 1971.^[9] Ordered by the government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been launched in November 1970.

The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military,^[10] within one month. Prolonged Bengali resistance was not anticipated by Pakistani planners.^[11] The main phase of Operation Searchlight ended with the fall of the last major town in Bengali hands in mid-May. The operation also precipitated the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. These systematic killings enraged Bengalis, who declared independence from Pakistan, and caused refugees to flee to India.

The violence resulting from Operation Searchlight was one of the precipating factors of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, which led to full fledged Indian retaliation augmented by the Mukti Bahini on Pakistani occupation forces in Bangladesh, resulting in Pakistan Army's unconditional surrender to the joint command of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini^[12] on December 16, 1971.

Contents 1 Background 2 The Operational Plan 2.1 The Planning Process 3 Major Components of the Plan 3.1 Operational Premises 3.2 Requirements for Success 3.3 Composition of Pakistan Armed Forces in East Pakistan 3.4 Pakistan Army Bengali Units in East Pakistan 3.5 Other Bengali Forces 3.6 Dispersion of Bengali Units before March 25 4 Operation Searchlight: March 25/26 to April 10 4.1 Dhaka 4.2 Chittagong 4.3 Comilla 4.4 Sylhet 4.5 Jessore 4.6 Khulna 4.7 Khushtia 4.8 Rajshahi 4.9 Rangpur-Saidpur 5 Aftermath 5.1 Temporary Pakistani Occupation 5.2 Creation of Mukti Bahini 5.3 Bengali Refugees in India 5.4 Bengali Civillian Casualties 6 Evaluation and Importance 7 References 8 Sources 9 Further reading 10 External links

Background

After the Awami League had won a decisive majority (capturing 167 out of 300 seats) in the 1970 Pakistan parliamentary elections, the Bengali population expected a swift transfer of power to the Awami League based on the Six Point Programme. On February 28, 1971, Yahya Khan, the President of Pakistan, postponed the national assembly meeting scheduled for March. The Awami League, in response to the postponement, launched a program of non cooperation (largely outlined in the March 7th Awami League rally) which was so successful that the authority of the Pakistan government became limited to the cantonments and government institutions in East Pakistan.^[13] Clashes between civilians and the Pakistani Army, and between Bengali and Bihari communities erupted and became commonplace. President Yahya Khan flew to Dacca to hold talks with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of the Awami League in March, and was later joined by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then the leader of Pakistan People's Party, which had secured the second largest majority in the elections. Unwilling to transfer power to the Awami League (fearing a transfer of power would erode the economic dominance of West Pakistan), or to lose face by backing down in face of the non cooperation movement, the Pakistani generals decided on a military crackdown.^[13]

The Operational Plan

The Planning Process

The plan was drawn up in March 1971 by Major General Khadim Hussain Raza, GOC 14th Division, and Major General Rao Farman Ali, as a result of a meeting of the Pakistani army staff on the 22nd of February.^[14] Senior Pakistani officers in East Pakistan who were unwilling to support a military attack on civilians, Lt. General Shahabzada Yakub Khan, GOC East Pakistan, and the governor of East Pakistan, Vice Admiral Ahsan, were relieved of their duties. Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan became the Governor and GOC of East Pakistan.

On March 17, General Raza was given authority to plan the operation via telephone by General Hamid, COS, Pakistan Army. On the morning of March 18, General Raza and Major General Rao Farman Ali wrote the plan at the GOC's office at Dacca cantonment. The plan was written on a light blue office pad with a lead pencil by General Farman containing 16 paragraphs spread over 5 pages.

General Farman defined the operational premises and conditions for success, while General Khadim dealt with the distribution of forces and tasks assigned to the individual brigades and other units. It assumed that the Bengali Army and other military units would revolt at the onset of operations^[15] and suggested that all Bengali units under arms should be disarmed and the political leadership arrested during a planned meeting with the President, General Yahya Khan. No operational reserves were earmarked.

The handwritten plan was reviewed with General Hamid and Lt. General Tikka Khan on the 20th of March at the flag staff house. General Hamid objected to the immediate disarming of regular army Bengali units, but approved the disarming of the EPR, armed police and other para-military formations. Yahya Khan refused to sanction the arrest of Awami League leaders during a meeting with him, as the plan had proposed.^[15] The amended plan was approved and distributed to various area commanders. On the 24th and the 25 March, a group of Pakistani Generals, accompanied by General Hamid, General Mittha, the Quartermaster General, and Col. Saadullah, Principal Staff Officer, visited major garrisons via helicopter and personally briefed garrison commanders and senior West Pakistani officers on the operation. Pakistani troops started arriving in Dacca via PIA flights carrying "special passengers".

Maj. Gen. Qamar Ali Mirza, and Brig. Harrison later arrived from West Pakistan to assist General Mittha in arranging logistical details, mainly because the non cooperation program was hampering food supply.^[16] Secrecy was strictly maintained; only a few Lt. Colonels learned about the plan beforehand on a need to know basis. Although some Bengali officers had become suspicious of the all West Pakistani officer briefings, no one outside the briefings learned the details beforehand.

The Operation was to start on the night of 25 March, 1971 in Dacca, and other garrisons were to be alerted via phone about their zero hour to start their operations. General Farman Ali commanded the forces in Dhaka, while the rest of the province was commanded by General Khadim. Lt. General Tikka Khan and his staff were present in the 31st field command center, to supervise and support the command staff of the 14th division.

Major Components of the Plan

Operational Premises

As outlined by the Pakistani planners, the operation aimed to eliminate the Awami League apparatus and any civilians and personnel of the armed forces supporting the Awami League movement in defiance of martial law. Cunning, surprise, deception and speed was emphasised as crucial for success. Use of free and greater force was authorised. Search and assault of civilian areas and Hindu areas also were authorised.

Requirements for Success

1. Operation to be launched simultaneously all across East Pakistan.
2. Maximum number of political and student leaders, and those among cultural organizations and teaching staff to be arrested.
3. Operation must achieve 100% success in Dhaka. Dhaka University would be occupied and searched.
4. Free and greater use of fire authorised for securing cantonments.
5. All internal and international communications to be cut off, including telephone, television, radio and telegraph.
6. All East Pakistani (Bengali) troops to be neutralised by seizing weapons and ammunition.
7. To deceive the Awami League, President Yahia Khan to pretend to continue dialogue, even if Mr. Bhutto disagrees, and to agree to Awami League demands.

The designated areas of offensive operations under that plan were Dacca, Khulna, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Saidpur and Sylhet, areas where West Pakistani army units were concentrated. Pakistani Army and paramilitary elements in other areas in East Pakistan were to maintain control of their respective areas and await reinforcements. Once Dhaka had been secured, the 9th and 16th divisions from Pakistan were to be airlifted into East Pakistan as reinforcements. Cities with airfields (Chittagong, Syhlet, Jessore, Rangpur, Comilla) would be reinforced via C-130 airplanes or heliborne troops directly from Dhaka.

Although the plan did not specify the time needed to subdue East Pakistan, it was assumed that after the arrest of the political leadership and disarming of the Bengali military and paramilitary units, civilians would be terrorised into submitting to martial law within a week.^[17] Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan estimated that no resistance would remain after April 10th.^[11]

Composition of Pakistan Armed Forces in East Pakistan

The Pakistan Army had only one division stationed in East Pakistan in February 1971, the 14th Infantry division. This division had 4 infantry brigades attached to it, instead of the normal 3 brigades. The 57th infantry brigade (under Brig. Jahanzab Arbab) was stationed in Dacca, the 53rd (Brig. Iqbal Shafi) was in Comilla, the 23rd (Brig. Abdullah Khan Malik) in Rangpur and the 107th (Brig. S.M. Durrani) was in Jessore. Brig. Mazoomdar, a Bengali, was in command of the Chittagong area. Normally, each brigade had 3 or 4 infantry battalions and a field artillery regiment attached to it in addition to various support troops. After the Pakistanis decided on military action, 2 additional infantry formations, the 13th Frontier Force and the 22nd Baluch, were flown to Dhaka from West Pakistan.

The four brigades of the 14th Infantry division had 12 infantry regiments (regiments normally had 915 soldiers each) containing purely West Pakistani personnel (mainly hailing from Punjabi, Baluch, Pathan and Sindhi background) before March 25, 1971. The division had 5 field artillery regiments, a light anti aircraft regiment, a commando battalion (the 3rd), all of which contained a majority of Pakistani personnel, in various East Pakistani bases. The only armoured regiment in East Pakistan, the 29th Cavalry, was a mixed unit. 20% of the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) were also West Pakistanis. The support elements of the various units and cantonments were of mixed nationality. The unit commanders and a majority of the officers were from West Pakistan.

The 16th infantry division in Quetta, West Pakistan, was ordered to prepare to move to East Pakistan in mid-February. To maintain secrecy, no major reinforcements were initially sent to the other garrisons before March 25.

The Pakistan Air Force had 20 F-86 Saber Jets and 3 T-33 Trainers at the Dacca airbase. The Army aviation wing had a squadron of helicopters posted in East Pakistan. C-130 Hercules planes were transferred to Dhaka for the operation from West Pakistan. Airfields were located in Chittagong, Comilla, Lalmonirhut near Rangpur, in Salutikor near Sylhet, in Jessore and Thakurgaon.

The Pakistan Navy had 4 Gunboats (Rajshahi, Jessore, Comilla and Sylhet) a patrol boat (Balaghat) and the destroyer PNS Jahangir in East Pakistan. Another destroyer, PNS Babur would visit East Pakistan after the operation started. Major naval bases were in Dhaka, Chittagong and Mongla.

Pakistan Army Bengali Units in East Pakistan

There were 6 regular army Bengali infantry regiments present in East Pakistan in March 1971. The 1st East Bengal Regiment (EBR) was in Jessore, attached to the 107th Brigade. The 2nd EBR was in Joydevpur north of Dacca, attached to the 57th Brigade. The 3rd EBR was in Saidpur, as part of the 23rd Brigade, and the 4th EBR was in Comilla with the 53rd Brigade. The 8th EBR was preparing to ship to West Pakistan and was at 75% strength in Chittagong. The East Bengal Regimental Center (EBRC) in Chittagong housed 2,000 Bengali troops including the newly raised 9th EBR. The 10th EBR, a training unit, was in the Dacca cantonment with the 14th Division. Bengali officers commanded the 1st, 2nd and the 10th EBR. Commanding officers of the other units were West Pakistani.

Other Bengali Forces

The East Pakistan police was majority Bengali, with some Pakistani officers. The East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), a 15,000 strong (80% Bengali)^[18] paramilitary force, was divided into 17 operational wings (each wing contained 3 to 7 companies of 150 men each) in 7 sectors (Dacca, Mymenshingh, Jessore, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Sylhet and Chittagong) and was deployed around the country. EPR Headquarters and 2,500 EPR troops were posted in Dhaka. The majority of the EPR officers were from West Pakistan, serving on deputation from the regular army for 2 to 3 years.

Dispersion of Bengali Units before March 25

Denied permission by General Hamid to disarm the regular Bengali army units en masse before the crackdown, the Pakistani command employed other ploys to minimise the threat of these formations.

Brig. Mazoomdar was relieved of his post on the 24th of March, with Brig. Ansari (West Pakistani) taking command of Chittagong area. Bengali units were sent out of the cantonments, or were broken into smaller units and deployed away from each other, and cut off from the main radio and wireless communication grid before or on the 25th of March. Bengali officers were sent on leave, or were posted away from command centers or units directly involved in the operation. In some cases, West Pakistani officers took command of Bengali formations. Some Bengali soldiers were sent on leave, and some were disarmed on various pretexts whenever possible without raising alarm. ^[19]

The 1st EBR (at 50% strength), was sent out of Jessore cantonment to Chaugacha near the border for winter training, where they stayed until March 29. Companies of the 2nd EBR were disbursed around areas outide Dacca and their radio communication net was shut off. The 3rd EBR had its companies disbursed around Ghoraghat, and at Parvatipur outside the Saidpur cantonment. The 4th EBR units were deployed between Brahmanbaria and Shamshernagar. Only in Chittagong, did the regular army Bengali units remain in their respective bases.

West Pakistani EPR troops were posted in the cities, whenever possible, while Bengali EPR troops were sent to the border outposts. Most EPR units were away from the main action areas, and would need at least a day to reach the major cities. The EPR wireless net was shut off on the night of March 24 or 25th.

Operation Searchlight: March 25/26 to April 10

This is a brief description of the units engaged and the result of Pakistani military action from March 25 until April 10, when the operation was supposed to end. This only covers events in the areas that were the major focus of Operation Searchlight, not the Bengali resistance thoughout East Pakistan. In some areas, Pakistani assault and mass murders started clashes with the Bengali forces on the 25th of March. In other areas, no clashes took place until as late as the 30th of March.

Dhaka

Pakistani Forces: In addition to the Eastern Command HQ, the headquarters of the 14th division and the 57th brigade were also located in Dacca cantonment. The regular army units present were: the 18th and 32nd Punjab regiments, 13th Frontier Force regiment, 22nd Baluch regiment, 43th Light Ack-Ack regiment (CO: Lt. Col. Shaffat Ali), elements of the 3rd Commando Battalion (CO: Lt. Col. Z.A. Khan), and the 31st Field Artillery Regiment. PAF personnel were stationed at the Tejgaon airport. Also, a squadron of at least 14 M24 Chaffee tanks from the 29th Cavalry regiment was stationed in Dhaka. In addition to these, support elements (engineering, supply and medical units) of the 57th brigade, the 14th division and the Eastern Command HQ were located in Dacca.

Bengali Forces: The 10th Bengal regiment was stationed in the Dacca cantonment. EPR HQ had 2,500 troops (the 13th, 15th and 16th wings, plus the Dacca sector and EPR HQ wings) at Pilkhana and some companies were posted around the city. The Rajarbag police had at least 2,000 armed police. 2nd EBR was stationed in various locations north of the city. There was also some lightly armed Awami League volunteers in Dacca.

Course of Events: The Pakistan Army had a 6 hour deadline to secure the city. The 13th Frontier Force maintained the security of the cantonment and the 43 light Ack Ack took over airport security during the operation. The 31st Field was deployed in Dacca and secured the northern part of the city. Pakistani Army troops quickly shut off all communication channels in Dacca before commencing the operation. The commandos easily captured Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the beginning of the crackdown, but most of the Awami League senior leadership managed to evade capture and leave the city by the 27th of March.

The 10th Bengal was easily disarmed in the cantonment and later disbanded. Awami League volunteers had put up makeshift barricades in the streets, but these did not cause any significant delay to Pakistani troop movements. The volunteers manning the barricades were the first civilians to be shot by Pakistani troops.

The 22nd Baluch, stationed at the EPR HQ, attacked and subdued the disorganised resistance of the mostly disarmed EPR at Pilkhana after an all night battle. Contingents from the 18th and 32nd Punjab regiments assaulted the Dacca University area, subdued the light resistance from the Awami League volunteers, killed unarmed students present in the halls, and also murdered some professors, then moved on to attack the Hindu areas and the old town. The Police at Rajarbag, aided by Awami League volunteers, put up a stout resistance, but were eventually overcome and most were captured or scattered. Pakistani forces had used artillery and armour liberally, disregarding civilian safety altogether. The city was secured before dawn and a curfew was imposed.

Surviving EPR and police fled the city. Captured Bengali soldiers, EPR and police personnel were either executed or imprisoned without trial. From March 26th to April 6th, in an operation dubbed "GREAT FLY-IN"^[20] PIA Boeings and C 130 Transports would fly the 9th and 16th divisions (5 Brigade Hqs, 16 infantry battalions) to Dacca,^[21] and elements of these formations would be flown to various locations in East Pakistan to reinforce Pakistani garrisons.

The 2nd EBR, under Major Shafiullah, revolted on the 27th of March and regrouped at Mymensingh, to the north of Dacca, on the 30th of March. EPR 2nd wing and sector HQ wing had destroyed the Pakistani forces at Mymenshigh on the 28th of March. Maj. Shafiullah planned an attack on Dacca, but he canceled the plan on the 31st of March and joined the forces of Khaled Mosharraf in Comilla. Pakistani forces launched probing attacks toward Tangail and Mymensingh, which would not fall until the 15th of April, and also sent the newly arrived 27th brigade to attack the 2nd EBR positions near Bhairab Bazar.

Chittagong

Pakistani Forces: The only West Pakistani army unit in Chittagong was the 20th Baluch regiment (CO: Lt. Col. Fatami), minus its advance party. A company from the 31st Punjab and a company from the 3rd Commando battalion were also in the port city. These were supported by a section of 6 M24 Chaffee tanks from the 29 Cavalry. The Pakistani Navy (under Commodore Mumtaz) and the PAF had an unknown number of personnel at the naval base and at the airport respectively. Also, some commandos were operating in civilian clothing in the city.^[22] EPR had about 300 Pakistani troops in Chittagong EPR HQ. PNS Jahangir, a destroyer, and the gunboat PNS Rajshahi was also present in Chittagong. Lt Col. Abdul Aziz Sheikh (West Pakistani) commanded the EPR.

Bengali Forces: The East Bengal Regimental Center (EBRC - Commanded by Lt. Col. Shaigri- Pakistani) housed 2,000 Bengali troops, including the newly raised 9th EBR. The 8th EBR (CO: Lt. Col. Janjua, Pakistani) was at 50% strength and stationed outside the cantonment. The EPR had some 1,500 Bengali troops in the Chittagong area (600 in Chittagong city itself), with the 11th, 14th and the 17th wings (at Kaptai) and the sector HQ wing. The Dampara police line housed a substantial police contingent. Some Bengali troops were deployed to unload munitions from the MV Swat at the port.

Course of Events: The Pakistanis retained possession of the cantonment, the naval base and the airport throughout the operation. Naval personnel secured the "MV Swat" and arrested or executed all Bengali troops who had been deployed to unload her. Communication networks were partially shut down before the attack. The 20th Baluch launched a surprise attack on the EBRC, killing or capturing more than 1,000 Bengali troops and scattering the rest. The 8th EBR (under Major Ziaur Rahman) left the city after learning of this attack, and did not take part in the initial battles in Chittagong.

EPR troops, under Captain Rafiqul Islam, revolted after learning of the crackdown in Dacca and took control of parts of the city, which they held until April 3. This is the only instance were Bengali units managed to launch a preemptive strike against the Pakistanis during the operation. They had managed to arrest all the Pakistani EPR soldiers (300-500) posted at the EPR HQ. Pakistani reinforcements coming from Comilla (under Brig. Iqbal Shafi) were ambushed at Kumira, 12 miles north of the city by EPR troops and held up for 4 days. By the 27th of March, most Bengali troops outside Chittagong city had assembled near the Kalurghat bridge, away from the battle in the city, where Major Zia had set up command. The Kalurghat Radio station, which was used to declare the independence of Bangladesh on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was operated until March 31, when it was silenced by air strikes.

The Pakistani force ambushed at Kumira made contact with the Pakistani troops in Chittagong on the 29th of March. Using artillery, naval guns and airstrikes, Pakistani troops took effective control of the city by April 3rd, and by April 6th,^[23] all Bengali troops had left the city to regroup in 2 areas, at Kalurghat (1,000+ Bengali troops of the EPR and EBR), and at Kumira, north of the city, thus cutting the Chittagong-Comilla highway link. By the 10h of April, Pakistani troops were poised to launch a three pronged coordinated attack to drive the Bengali troops from their positions.

Comilla

Pakistani Forces: 53rd Brigade HQ (Brig. Iqbal Shafi) was located in the Comilla cantonment, which also contained the 24th Frontier Force regiment (CO: Lt. Col. Shahpur Khan), 3rd Commando Battalion minus elements, the 53rd Field Artillery Regiment (CO: Lt. Col. Yaqub Malik), 2 120 mm mortar batteries, the 40th Field ambulance troops and Engineering company troops.

Bengali Forces: The 4th EBR (Lt. Col. Khijir Hayat - Pakistani) was concentrated in Brahmanbaria, 50 miles north of Comilla. Support and supply troops were in the Comilla cantonment. The EPR 1st wing HQ was in Comilla and units were posted around Akhaura, north east of the city.

Course of Events: The Pakistanis easily arrested and imprisoned or executed Bengali troops in Comilla cantonment, then wiped out the police in Comilla city on the 26th of March. The EPR HQ wing was warned and most EPR personnel managed to escape. A convoy of 80 to 100 vehicles bearing the 24th Frontier Force, the mortar batteries, commando troops and the engineers started for Chittagong after Comilla was secured. This column was ambushed by the EPR 12 miles from Chittagong on the 26th of March evening. The 4th EBR foiled a plot to disarm their Bengali officers, and under Maj. Khaled Musharraf, revolted on the 27th of March. They took over areas immediately north and south of Comilla with the aid of EPR troops and civilian volunteers. The 3rd Commando battalion attacked and eliminated the 4th EBR rear party in the cantonment on the 29th of March.

Pakistanis maintained control of the city and the airfield throughout the operation. By April 10th, Bengali troops still controlled major cities in Comilla, Noakhali and Syhlet. Pakistani 27th, 313rd, and 117th Brigades were attacking these positions.

Sylhet

Pakistani Forces: The 31st Punjab regiment minus 1 company was in located Syhlet. This unit was attached to the 53rd brigade.

Bengali Forces Sector EPR troops, EPR 3rd and 12th wings were stationed in and around Syhlet. EPR sector HQ was in Sylhet city itself. There were also some police personnel in the city.

Course of Events: The Pakistanis maintained control of the airfield and the cantonment throughout the operation. There were sporadic clashes around the city, which the Pakistanis abanduned on April 7th to take up positions at the airfield. They would remain surrounded by Bengali forces until mid April when the Pakistanis, reinforced via air transport by the 313th brigade, counterattacked. Major C.R. Dutta commanded the Bengali forces, with Major Shafiullah commanding in the area between the commands of C.R. Dutta and Khaled Musharraf in Comilla.

Jessore

Pakistani Forces: The 107th Brigade HQ was in Jessore. It had the 26th Baluch regiment, the 27th Baluch regiment minus a company, elements of the 22nd Frontier Force, the 55th Field Artillery Regiment and elements of the 24th Field Artillery Regiment and various support and supply formations attached to the brigade.

Bengali Forces: The 1st EBR (Lt. Col. Rezaul Jalil - Bengali) was in winter training away from the cantonment. The unit was at 50% strength, as it was preparing to move to West Pakistan. Other than support and supply troops in the cantonment, there were armed police in the city. EPR sector HQ was located nearby. 7th Field ambulence was in the cantonment.

Course of Events: No clashes took place in Jessore cantonment or city during March 25-27th. 1st EBR returned to the cantonment on the 29th of March, unaware of the crackdown in Dhaka. When ordered to disarm, this unit revolted, and lost more than 50% of its present strength before breaking out of the cantonment. Pakistanis maintained full control of the airfield, and the cantonment without any problems. After clashes with sector EPR troops, Pakistani troops left the city. Jessore cantonment and airfield (used to receive reinforcements via air from April 6th) would be surrounded by Bengali forces, made up of EPR troops and Bengali volunteers, until early April. Efforts to break out of Jessore or receive supplies from Khulna were foiled by Bengali forces. By the 10th of April, this scenario had not changed.

Khulna

Pakistani Forces: The 22d Frontier Force regiment (75% strength) was posted in Khulna, attached to the 107th brigade.

Bengali Forces: 5th EPR wing HQ and police and Bengali civilian volunteers. Most EPR companies were posted outside Khulna city.

Course of Events: Pakistani forces maintained their positions throughout the operation, arresting the Bengali EPR personnel in Khulna on the 25th of March. EPR forces sporadically attacked, without gaining any ground. Pakisani efforts to reinforce Jessore from Khulna failed.

Khushtia

Pakistani Forces: A Company from the 27th Baluch.

Bengali Forces: EPR 4th Wing, armed police and Bengali volunteers.

Course of Events: The Pakistani company took control of the town on March 26th. EPR trops, under the command of Maj. Abu Osman Chowdhury, were joined by police and civilian volunteers, and annihilated the Pakistani troops by the 30th of March. Kusthia would remain under Bengali control until April 16th.^[21]

Rajshahi

Pakistani Forces: The 25th Punjab regiment (Lt. Col. Shafqat Baluch) minus 1 company, attached to the 23rd brigade. Pakistani EPR troops from EPR sector HQ.

Bengali Forces: EPR 6th at Nababganj to the west and 7th wing at Naogaon to the north of Rajshahi, EPR sector HQ troops at Rajshahi, police and Bengali volunteers.

Course of Events: The 25th Punjab sent a company to Pabana to the east to take control of that town. 25th Punjab drove the police out of the city on the 27th of March. Pakistani EPR troops relocated to the cantonment the same day. Bengali EPR troops and Bengali volunteers under Maj. Nazmul Huq would surround the Pakistanis in the cantonment on the 28th of March, taking over most of the city and inflicting severe casualties. The Pakistani company at Pubna was destroyed by March 29. Rajshahi would remain in Bengali hands until April 15th.^[21]

Rangpur-Saidpur

Pakistani Forces: HQ of the 23rd Brigade was at Rangpur. A small cantonment was located at Saidpur, to the west of Rangpur. Most of the 26th Frontier Force, and the 29th Cavalry (55 Tanks, 50% Bengali personnel, CO: Lt. Col. Shagir) was at Rangpur. A company of the 26th Frontier Force was stationed at Dinajpur. 23rd Field was stationed in Saidpur with a detachment posted in Bogura. Both cantonments had support and supply units stationed in their premises.

Bengali Forces: 3rd EBR HQ was in Saidpur, with 2 companies in Ghoraghat and 1 in Parvatipur, south west and south east of Rangpur respectively. 3 EPR wings were stationed at Thakurgaon (9th Wing), Dinajpur (8th Wing and sector HQ) and Rangpur (10th Wing).

Course of Events: Pakistani troops attacked the EPR sector HQ and took over Rangpur on the 26th of March after most EPR troops left for Lalmanirhut. 3rd EBR elements and Bengali troops were attacked at Saidpur on the 31st of March, and survivors joined the EPR at Dinajpur. The 26th Frontier Force had attacked the EPR at Dinajpur on the 28th, but were driven out by the 31st of March. Thakurgaon was freed by the EPR 8th wing on the 28th of March. Bengali personnel of 29th cavalry were disarmed and arrested after the 31st of March and executed. Bengali troops took control of Bogura on the 28th of March, Pakistani survivors fled to Rangpur.

Pakistani forces maintained control of Saidpur and Rangpur throughout the operation. Heliborne forces from Dhaka reinforced these bases.^[24] An attack was launched to retake Lalmonirhut on April 1st, which fell on April 4th. This enabled C 130 Heracles planes to fly in further reinforcements. Pakistani forces spread ot from Saidpur to the west, north and south, and by April 10th, had retaken some of the minor towns in Bengali hands.

Aftermath

By the dawn of 10th of April, Pakistani forces had gained control of Dhaka, Rangpur - Saidpur, Comilla, Chittagong, and Khulna. Their forces had lost or abandoned Rajshahi, Sylhet, Pabna, Dinajpur, Mymenshing and Kushtia. The vital airfields and all the cantonments remained under Pakistani control, while the rest of the province was unoccupied. Using their superiority of weapons and command of air ruthlessly, with little regard for safety of civilians and often targeting civilian areas to spread terror, the Pakistani army began to fan out of their bases and take over the province. By late April, all the major cities had fallen, by mid May all major towns had been captured and by mid June the battered remnant of Bengali fighters had been driven across the border into India. The Bengali restance, suffering from a lack of trained men, proper logistics and coordination, lost the conventional battle against the Pakistan forces.

Temporary Pakistani Occupation

Lt. General A.A.K Niazi was posted as GOC East Pakistan Command on April 11, 1971, while Tikka Khan was retained as the governor of the province. General Khadim Raza was relieved from the command of the 14th division, while General Farman continued to serve as advisor on civilian affiars to the governor.

The Pakistan Army in East Pakistan, after being reinforced by "Operation GREAT FLYIN", was reorganised to run the counter insurgency operation. The 9th division (HQ Jessore, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Riza commanding) was given the 57th (HQ in Jhenida) and 107th (HQ in Jessore) brigades for controlling Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna, Faridpur, Barisal and Patuakhali districts. The 16th Division (HQ Natore, Maj. Gen. Nazar Hussain Shah commanding) was given the 23rd (HQ Rangpur), 205th (HQ Bogura) and 34th (HQ Nator) brigades and was to control Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogura, Pabna and Rajshahi districts. The 14th division (HQ Dacca, Maj. Gen. Rahim Khan) controlled the rest of the province with the 27th (HQ Mymenshingh), 313rd (HQ Sylhet), 117th (HQ Comilla) and the 53rd (HQ Chittagong) brigades.

E.P.C.A.F (East Pakistan Civil Armed Force) was organized to replace the EPR. Commanded by Maj. Gen. Jamshed, this force contained 17 combat wings, 7 sector wings (Sector Hqs at Dacca, Mymeshingh, Jessore, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Comilla and Chittagong), totalling an estimated 20,000 personnel (West Pakistanies and Biharis), serving under the command of Pakistani army officers. The force was deployed to patrol the border, maintain internal security and support army operations.

Razakars and Shanti Committees were formed to support the army occupation. Mostly recruited from Bengalis and ex-EPR servicemen, an estimated 40,000 Razakers (against a target of 100,000 recruits) of mixed effectiveness was eventually fielded. Al-Badr and Al-Shams, formed by Jaamat-i-Islami, contributed another 5,000 members each. Pakistan also deployed hundreds of West Pakistani civilians and 5,000 police to support the occupation.

Creation of Mukti Bahini

The initial resistance, which started on March 26th, functioned without any central command structure. Senior Bengali army officers met at Teliapara in Sylhet on April 10th, and selected Col. (ret) M.A.G Osmani as commander of Bengali armed forces. On April 11th Osmani designated four sector commanders: Major Zia for the Chittagong area, Major Khaled Mussarraf for Comilla, Major Shafiullah for Sylhet and Major Abu Osman Chowdhury for Jessore area. The Bangladesh government in exile was formed by the Awami League leadership on April 17 at Meherpur in Kushtia, which confirmed Col. Osmani as commander of Mukti Bahini (regular armed forces and insurgents) under the authority of Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed. Bangladesh Forces Headquarters were set up in Kolkata (Calcutta) with Col. MAG Osmani as commander in chief, Lt. Col. MA Rab as Chief of Staff (based in Agartala, Tripura), and Group Captain AR Khandker as deputy Chief of Staff.

The Bengali resistance, after being driven out of Bangladesh, began reorganizing to focus on irregular warfare.

Bengali Refugees in India

A few thousand people sought refuge during April and May, mostly the resistance. However, as Pakistani army operations spread throughout the province, refugees fleeing to India increased. Ultimately approximately 10 million people would leave East Pakistan, and about 6.7 million were housed in 825 refugee camps. An estimated 7.3 million would be in West Bengal, and 1.5 million in Tripura. The rest were mainly in Assam and Bihar. The temporary presence of this large foreign population created economic (the cost of feeding, housing and medical care), social (tensions between locals and refugees) and national security (arms falling in the hands of Mizo and Naga rebels) concerns for India.

Bengali Civillian Casualties

The killings which began on 25 March 1971 and sparked the Bangladesh Liberation War led to the deaths of at least 26,000 people, as admitted by Pakistan (by the Hamoodur Rahman Commission)^[25] and as many as 3,000,000 as claimed by Bangladesh (from 1972 to 1975 the first post-war prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mentioned on several occasions that at least three million died).^{[26] [27][28]} After the defeat of the Pakistan Army, there was a call to try nearly 200 Pakistani POWs for war crimes, but no trials took place. In some areas Bengali civilians had killed Biharis, and abandoned houses were looted by Bengalis and Biharis alike.

Evaluation and Importance

• The Pakistani army maintained operational security, for the most part, before the operation commenced. They also airlifted 2 infantry divisions (the 9th and the 16th) to Bangladesh in a span of 4 weeks after March 26, despite a ban on flights over India.
• The disorganized initial resistance of Bengali units was crushed by mid June, and the country was under Pakistani control. As insurgent activity slacked off in July, civilians returned to work and trade resumed, and Pakistanis could claim the country was almost "normal". On the surface, Operation Searchlight had achieved most of its goals.
• The Pakistanis had failed to capture the Awami League political leaders during the operation, which was a crucial part of the plan. The political leadership moved to India, and using their networks and popular support in Bangladesh, effectively organized the insurgency.
• The survival of the Awami League political apparatus permitted India to channel aid through a structured organization, rather than dealing with various resistance groups competing for their support. The Awami League included elected members of parliament who could claim to be legitimate representatives of the people, thus enhancing the credibility of the organization in international circles. Bengali army officers worked under civilian leaders, so there was no serious struggle for power in the resistance. While civilian leadership ran the administration and coordinated logistics, army personnel fought the war and trained freedom fighters.
• Pakistani planners had assumed that if the political leadership was captured, the Bengali armed units disarmed, and the civilians sufficiently terrorized, after a month no organized resistance would remain in East Pakistan. Their assumptions were proven wrong in the long run. The political leadership escaped to organize the resistance and lobby for international support, Bengali soldiers formed the core of the armed resistance, and civilians, despite the terror campaign, supported the insurgency with logistics, intelligence and volunteers for the irregular warfare.
• Operation Searchlight included no followup plan. Anticipating a relatively quick success, Pakistani planners did not plan for a long irregular war or the eventual involvement of India. Pakistan had no regular troops to spare after stationing 4 divisions in Bangladesh by November 1971 since they needed to maintain parity with the Indian army in the west. With the EPR and police defecting, a large number of para military units were needed to police the country. Siddique Salik estimated that Pakistan needed at least 250,000 to 300,000 troops, but even after organizing the Razakars (estimated strength 40,000), Pakistan could field only 150,000 (45,000 regular army, rest paramilitary units) soldiers in Bangladesh.

The eventual strain of combating the insurgency caused Pakistan to attack India on the 3 December 1971, with the objective to stop Indian support for the Mukti Bahini. This attack initiated the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which concluded with the unconditional surrender of Pakistan forces on the 16th of December.

References

Sources

• Salik, Siddiq (1997). Witness to Surrender. ISBN 9-840-51374-5. 
• Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR (2004). Surrender at Dacca: Birth of A Nation. The University Press Limited. ISBN 9-840-51532-2. 
• Qureshi, Maj. Gen. Hakeem Arshad (2003). The Indo Pak War of 1971: A Soldiers Narrative. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-579778-7. 
• Islam, Major Rafiqul (2006). A Tale of Millions. Ananna. ISBN 9-844-12033-0. 
• Shafiullah, Maj. Gen. K.M (2006). Bangladesh at War. Agamee Prakshani. ISBN 9-844-01322-4. 
• Rahman, Md. Khalilur (2006). Muktijuddhay Nou-Abhijan. Shahittha Prakash. ISBN 9-844-65449-1. 
• Mukul, M. R. Akthar (2004). AMI Bijoy Dekhechi. Sagar Publishers. ISBN 9-844-5200-5. 

Further reading

• Chowdhury, Debasish Roy; 'Indians are bastards anyway' in the Asia Times Online June 23, 2005. Mentions Operation Searchlight in paragraph eight.
• Hasan, Khalid; Indian scholar sifts 1971 fact from fiction in the Daily Times December 18, 2005.
• Lamb, Scott; Genocide since 1945: Never Again? in Der Spiegel online January 26, 2005. See the section "Bangladesh, 1971".
• The 1971 Genocide in Pakistan - A Realist Perspective - How realpolitik considerations of the states involved explain why genocide was carried out with impunity, why it was permitted by international players, why it was halted by the Indian intervention and why the perpetrators were never punished.

External links

• Operation Searchlight by Tariq Aqil
• Operation Search Light: Paki Blue Print for Bangalee Massacre

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